Sunday, 19 July 2015

Three Clever Ways to Build Up Your Climax by Natascha Biebow

• a limited word count• a unique premise• an opening that needs to hook right away• plus a satisfying ending, preferably with an unexpected
twist.

But what about
the middle?

You’ve got
your character, your problem, a spiffy opening. The story rings with promise
like an unwrapped present.

Then, the action starts. Your story reveals itself, bit by bit, like the giftwrap as it's peeled away. Your reader is filled with expectation: what could be inside?!

This bit needs to be page-turningly exciting, like a game of pass the
parcel, where each layer reveals a little bit more and readers can't wait to find out what the big prize is. Don’t let your middle sag!

A sagging middle will make readers turn right off.

But how? How
can you make the middle really, really compelling?

1. Use the
rule of three: build up the plot and make things worse for the protagonist using three incidences that lead to a dramatic crisis and turning point in the story. This should be 75% of the way
through your picture book, roundabout spread 7.

Make your characters face
their worst fears,

make time run
out,

make your characters fall in the mud, get lost, or . . .?

2. Create a
pause (with words and visuals):

3. Use clever
page turns and don’t be
afraid to use the book format creatively:

TURN IT!

POP-UP, FLAPS or FOLD-OUT PAGES

USE BOLD WORDS

After the
pause, you are ready for the big reveal:

We get to see what was inside the
present and everything changes. Ahh, an experience so satisfying, we can’t wait
to do it again (and again and again!).

Natascha is also the author of Elephants Never Forget and Is This My Nose?, editor of numerous award-winning children’s books, and Regional Advisor (Chair) of SCBWI British Isles. www.blueelephantstoryshaping.com

Thanks so much, Pippa! Yes, if only it were so simple to implement. That's the thing about picture books - all the behind-the-scenes crafting is invisible when you get it right. It is seamless to the reader, which is how it should be of course.